The following invention relates to vehicles, platforms and other systems for use in orchards to prune trees. More specifically, this invention relates to vehicles having vertically and horizontally adjustable platforms for locating workers close to the trees to be pruned.
Throughout the history of agriculture, the financial success of the farmer has depended considerably on how efficiently and cost effectively the farmer could produce his crop. Whenever devices improve the efficiency with which the farmer can perform a required task, the size of crop the farmer can produce is increased. Also, with more efficient machines the farmer requires fewer laborers to produce the crop. Even small improvements in efficiency allow the farmer to increase his productivity, perhaps making a failing farmer into a successful one.
One task required of orchard farmers is that of pruning the trees. The more efficiently the orchard can be pruned, the more time the farmer will have for other tasks and the fewer laborers the farmer will need to hire in order to prune the orchard. Pruning is best accomplished while the trees are dormant or after harvest. Frequently, the terrain in the orchard is inhospitable to machinery at this time because of muddy, bog-like conditions associated with the rainy season.
Many devices exist in the prior art designed to improve the efficiency with which an orchard can be pruned or other tree maintenance tasks may be performed. Some devices require mounting on other vehicles or require that they be towed behind vehicles. Those that are self contained as a vehicle inadequately address the problem of maneuvering through unstable surfaces, such as mud, often prevalent in the orchard environment. These pruning vehicles also require greater numbers of operators for their use.
The invention of this application provides a self contained pruning vehicle designed to easily maneuver through the orchard environment, provide easily controllable access to the trees for pruning, and be operable by a small group of men or even one man alone.
The following prior art reflect the state of the art of which applicant is aware and are included herewith to discharge applicant""s acknowledged duty to disclose relevant prior art. It is stipulated, however, that none of these references teach singly nor render obvious when considered in any conceivable combination the nexus of the instant invention as disclosed in greater detail hereinafter and as particularly claimed.
Other Prior Art (Including Author, Title, Date, Pertinent Pages, Etc.)
Woods Manufacturing, Inc.; xe2x80x9cThe Tree Squirrelxe2x80x9d brochure; no date; entire brochure.
Dakota xe2x80x9cAGxe2x80x9d Welding, Inc.; xe2x80x9cPrune-Rite Pruning Towersxe2x80x9d brochure; no date; entire brochure.
Weldcraft Industries, Inc.; no title; no date; entire brochure.
The Johnson patent teaches the use of a self contained pruning and picking vehicle. This vehicle requires a separate driver and uses standard rubber tires. Platforms on the Johnson device have restricted vertical motion. Some of the platforms do not move vertically at all, while others must move up and down together and cannot work independently. The vehicle of the instant application is operable without a designated driver and has wheels providing greater stability and movement. Furthermore, each platform is able to move independently vertically.
The patent to Stemm teaches a vehicle having two fully independent moveable platforms. The device of the present application is distinguishable from Stemm in that the vehicle may be driven from one of the platforms, has specially modified wheels, and positions the two lifting platforms in a side by side orientation making it more easily utilizable in an orchard environment where trees of adjacent rows are often directly opposite each other.
The patents to Gregory and Cardiff teach various lifting platforms which must be mounted to a separate vehicle to be utilized within the orchard environment. The platforms of the instant application are included in the pruning vehicle and do not necessitate the use of a separate vehicle for motivation.
The patent to Fridley requires the use of stairs for elevational change, while the vehicle of the present application has hydraulically operable platforms for adjustment in elevation.
The remainder of the prior art listed above but not specifically distinguished diverge more starkly from the invention of this application.
The pruning system is broken down into three major subparts: a chassis, wheels and a scaffold.
The chassis is composed primarily of a rigid frame. The frame has a forward structure, a rearward structure and a central structure. The forward structure has an axle mounted thereto which supports two forward wheels, one on each side of the frame at extremities of the axle. The forward structure also has various fillers for fluids such as oil and gas which are required by an engine located on the rearward structure. The forward structure of the frame is rigidly and fixedly attached to the central structure. The central structure is of a thinner profile, when viewed from the side, than the forward structure or the rearward structure. The central structure is lower in elevation than the forward structure and the rearward structure.
The scaffold is mounted on an upper surface of the central structure. The central structure is rigidly attached to the forward structure by a forward transition structure. The forward transition structure is a substantially vertically oriented rigid member to which the forward structure and the central structure are fixedly attached. By having the scaffold attached to the central structure, and having the central structure lower than the forward structure and the rearward structure, the stability of the pruning vehicle is improved. This allows the pruning vehicle to be narrower and lighter without risking tipping when platforms on the scaffold are extended horizontally and loaded.
The central structure is fixedly attached to the rearward structure by a rearward transitional structure there between. The rearward transitional structure is substantially identical to the forward transitional structure and is fixedly attached to both the central structure and the rearward structure. The engine is mounted above the rearward structure. An engine housing encloses the engine. Below the rearward structure is located an axle to which two wheels are attached.
Both the forward structure and the rearward structure have hydraulic motors integrated therein. These hydraulic motors receive their power from the engine and transmit power to the wheels through differentials interposed on each of the axles.
Also, on both the forward structure and the rearward structure are attached steering rams. Each steering ram is in turn connected on an opposite end to a steering ram tie rod which is attached to the wheel axle interface to turn the wheels. In this way, both forward and rearward wheels of the pruning vehicle are steerable.
Each of the four wheels has a substantially identical structure. These wheels allow navigation in an orchard having unstable ground conditions. The wheels are substantially disc shaped having a circular central hub which is fastenable to the axle. Circumscribing the hub at a perimeter of the wheel is a circular rim. The rim is narrower in width than the width of the hub. A circular disc is interposed between the hub and the rim and is fixedly attached to both the hub and the rim. The disc tapers from having a width similar to the width of the hub at its inner end and having a width similar to the width of the rim at its outer perimeter. Thus, in cross section the wheels taper in a manner similar to an inverted isosceles triangle from being wider near the axle to being thinner at the rim where contact with the ground is made.
A plurality of fins are attached to the discs on both inner and outer surfaces. The fins extend radially outward from the hub toward the rim. The fins are fixedly attached to the disc. The fins prevent the wheels from slipping when operating through soft surfaces. A plurality of side rim teeth extend axially out from the rim. Each tooth extends a distance similar to the width of the rim. The side rim teeth are located on both the inner and outer sides of the rim. The side rim teeth provide further traction for the wheels.
Fixedly attached to the discs on inner and outer surfaces thereof are a plurality of mud deflectors. Each mud deflector extends outwardly from the surface of the disc at an angle which slopes toward an axis collinear with the hub. The wedge shaped cross-section of the wheels allows the wheels to penetrate deeply into soft ground conditions yet not get bogged down. In this way, the wheels contact firmer ground beneath the less firm surface. Thus, the wheels reside on a firm foundation allowing operators on platforms attached to the scaffold to more easily work.
The scaffold of the pruning system elevates users above the vehicle and extends users horizontally away from the vehicle to provide them with better access to the trees to perform pruning and other maintenance. The scaffold is divided into two substantially identical scaffold portions, a left scaffold portion and a right scaffold portion. The lifting apparatus of the left scaffold is oriented closer to the forward structure of the frame of the chassis and the right scaffold""s lifting structure is located closer to the rearward structure of the chassis. In this way, the two scaffolds may come quite close to each other without their separate lifting apparatus interfering with each other.
Each lifting apparatus is described as follows. A guide is fixedly attached to the central structure of the frame. Received within the guide is a horizontal slide. The horizontal slide is a rigid construct capable of sliding into and out of the guide in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the direction of vehicle motion. Fixedly attached to the slide on an upper surface thereof and at an end distant from the vehicle is located a base. The base is a rigid unitary mass. Pivotably connected to the base are two rigid links referred to as a lower driver and lower follower. The lower driver and lower follower pivotably attach on an upper end to an intermediate riser.
The intermediate riser is a rigid unitary mass similar to the base. The lower driver and lower follower are oriented such that they are preferably parallel to each other. The lower driver is above the lower follower. Fixedly attached to the lower driver at a point between the intermediate riser and the base is a hydraulic attachment bracket. Attached to the hydraulic attachment bracket is one end of a hydraulic ram. The other end of the hydraulic ram is pivotably attached to the base.
When the hydraulic ram is extended, the lower driver pivots about the base causing the intermediate riser to move upwardly. The lower follower also pivots along with the driver and causes the intermediate riser to elevate without rotating. In this way, the intermediate riser does not rotate in relationship to the base and the attached vehicle. Pivotably attached to the intermediate riser are two upper links referred to as an upper driver and an upper follower. The upper driver is higher than the upper follower.
On ends of the upper driver and upper follower opposite the intermediate riser is pivotably attached an upper riser. The upper riser is in turn fixedly attached to the platform. An upper hydraulic ram is pivotably mounted between the intermediate riser and the upper driver. Thus, when the upper hydraulic ram is extended, the upper driver pivots about the intermediate riser. This causes the upper riser to be elevated. The upper follower is also pivoted and causes the upper riser to elevate without rotation.
By extension of the upper hydraulic ram and lower hydraulic ram, the platform is elevated from a level slightly above the upper surface of the central structure of the frame to a height approximately twice the width of the vehicle.
Fixedly attached to the platform is a cage. The cage extends to an elevation approximately waist high above the platform. The cage allows a worker standing on the platform to work without concern of slipping off of the platform. A door is provided on one side of the cage for entrance and exit from the platform. When the cage is opened the hydraulic rams associated with the scaffold are disabled.
An in/out pedal is provided on the floor of the platform which when depressed causes the hydraulic ram attached to the slide to be extended or contracted. In this way a worker on the platform can cause the platform to move in (towards) and out (away) from the vehicle.
An up/down pedal is also provided on the platform. The up/down pedal is connected to the lower hydraulic ram and the upper hydraulic ram. Thus, when the worker on the platform wishes to move up or down he may depress the pedal appropriately causing the hydraulic rams to be extended or contracted causing the lifting structure to elevate or lower the platform.
One of the two platforms is provided with a steering joystick. The steering joystick is connected to the hydraulic motors which turn the wheels and the hydraulic rams which steer the wheels. Moving the joystick by one of the workers on one of the platforms causes the vehicle to move forward or in reverse and causes the vehicle to turn. In this way, the vehicle is operable without the necessity of having an extra operator to drive the vehicle.
The upper ram on the lifting mechanism of the platform may be replaced by a mechanical link attached to an upper end of the lower driver and a lower end of the upper driver. The mechanical link causes the upper riser to be elevated with respect to the intermediate riser when the lower hydraulic ram is extended. In this way, a single hydraulic ram is able to fully elevate the platform.
A modification of the scaffold has a series of four vertical base sleeves fixedly attached to the central structure of the frame of the chassis. Four base slides are sized to fit within these sleeves. A base ram is interposed between the central structure and a scaffold frame. The scaffold frame is fixedly attached to upper surfaces of the base slides and to the upper end of the base ram. Base sleeve supports extend from the forward structure and rearward structure to upper ends of the base sleeves to provide additional lateral support. When the base ram is extended, the scaffold frame is lifted vertically.
The scaffold frame has fixedly attached thereto a handrail and a walkway. The scaffold also has a left slide guide and a right slide guide thereon. The left slide guide is sized to receive a left slide. The left slide is a horizontally extending rigid construct which is capable of extending horizontally outward away from the vehicle. The right slide is similar in design to the left slide. The right slide is sized to fit within the right guide of the scaffold frame.
Cages are fixedly attached to upper surfaces of the slides on ends most distant from the vehicle. The cages have handrails which extend into the handrail fixedly attached to the scaffold frame. Each slide has a hydraulic ram interposed between itself and the scaffold frame. When the hydraulic rams are extended, the slides extend, thereby positioning the cages at a distance farther away from the vehicle in a horizontal direction. The cage handrails also extend while remaining within the fixed handrail on one end. Each cage has a moving walkway fixedly attached at a lower end thereof which slides under the fixed walkway when the cage is extended. The two moving walkways along with the fixed walkway form a single continuous platform between the left cage and the right cage.
Each cage has pedals which allow a worker to extend the cage toward and away from the scaffold frame in a horizontal direction perpendicular to vehicle motion. One of the cages has an additional pedal which activates the base ram causing the scaffold to be elevated or lowered. The steering joystick is connected to one of the cages for steering and driving of the vehicle by a worker within one of the cages. In this modification the vehicle is operable by a single worker having easy access to both left and right cages simultaneously.
An alternative modification to the vehicle which has the central scaffold utilizes an identical scaffold frame with identical handrail and walkway and left and right cages. This alternative version of the scaffold, however, is attached to the central structure through a series of scissor links.
In this modification, fixedly attached to the central structure is a forward and a rearward base guide. Rolling within the two base guides are guide wheels. Each guide wheel is pivotably attached to a lower end of a lower scissor link. One end of the base guides has lower ends of scissor links pivotably attached directly thereto. The four lower scissor links are pivotably attached to each other in pairs at a location directly above each base guide. Upper ends of the lower scissor links are pivotably attached to lower ends of upper scissor links which in turn are pivotably attached to each other in a middle portion and pivotably attached to the scaffold frame on upper ends thereof. Some of the upper scissor links"" upper ends are pivotably attached to a guide wheel which rolls within a scissor scaffold guide fixedly attached to the lower surface of the scaffold frame. The other upper ends of the upper scissor links are pivotably attached directly to the scissor scaffold guide.
A hydraulic ram is pivotably attached between the base guide and one of the lower scissor links. When the hydraulic ram is extended, the scissor links are pivoted and the guide wheels within the base guide and the scissor scaffold guide roll toward a middle of the base guide and the scissor scaffold guide. The scissor scaffold guide is pivotably attached directly to a scissor link. This causes the scaffold frame to be elevated without rotation. The hydraulic ram is controllable by a pedal located on the scaffold.
This modification allows for passage of a worker between the two cages without lowering of the scaffold. This modification also allows a single worker to operate the entire vehicle and maintain two trees at the same time without moving the pruning vehicle chassis.
Other alternative modifications to the scaffold include providing two separate scaffolds for each cage, the scaffolds utilizing a mechanism similar to that common in forklifts. Each scaffold in this modification has a horizontal extension mechanism with a vertical extension mechanism on a distant end of the horizontal extension mechanism. The two side-by-side horizontal extension mechanisms are interrelated in one modification allowing the two cages to be oriented in a common vertical plane orthogonal to chassis motion at all times.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a pruning system which may be driven from the top of a platform attached to the pruning vehicle, avoiding the need for a separate driver.
Another primary object of the present invention is to provide a pruning system which includes a vehicle having special wheels which provide a solid foundation and are less likely to become stuck in an orchard environment. In fact, the instant invention benefits from adverse terrain to promulgate vehicle stability.
Another further object of the present invention is to provide a pruning system having a vehicle with a low slung central portion for stability and a platform fastened to the low slung portion such that when the platform is extended horizontally away from sides of the vehicle the vehicle is less likely to roll over off of its wheels.
Another further object of the present invention is to provide a pruning system having a vehicle with an engine which causes the wheels of the vehicle to move and which drives hydraulic motors which cause platforms on the vehicle to move upwardly and downwardly and in and out (horizontally and perpendicularly) with respect to the direction of vehicle motion.
Another further object of the present invention is to provide a pruning system having a vehicle with platforms of a compact structure which still may extend significantly from the frame of the vehicle.
Another further object of the present invention is to provide a pruning system having separate platforms which may be independently moved by workers on the platforms.
Another further object of the present invention is to provide a pruning system which is easy to manufacture and easy to maintain.
Another further object of the present invention is to provide a pruning system which can efficiently and economically prune trees within an orchard.
Viewed from a first vantage point it is an object of the present invention to provide an orchard pruning vehicle comprised of a frame supporting the vehicle, wheels connected to the frame and supporting the frame above ground, an engine upon the frame imparting rotation to the wheels to move the vehicle along the ground, and a plurality of platforms supported above the frame by a movable connection means moving the platforms both vertically substantially perpendicularly to the vehicle""s motion and horizontally substantially perpendicularly to the vehicle""s motion.
Viewed from a second vantage point it is an object of the present invention to provide an orchard pruning vehicle for maintenance of trees in orchards having irregular terrain and variable ground conditions comprised of a frame supporting the vehicle, a plurality of wheels attached to the frame and supporting the frame above the ground, and a plurality of platforms supported above the frame by a moveable connection means locating the platforms distant from the frame of the vehicle; and wherein each wheel is of a substantially rigid disc shape comprised of a hub fastenable to an axle connected to the frame and to an engine providing power for rotation of the wheels, a circular rim forming a periphery of the wheel surrounding the hub and coaxial with the hub, and a disc having a greater thickness near a central opening and a lesser thickness near a peripheral edge, the disc fitting between the circular rim and the hub, the disc fixedly attached to the rim at the peripheral edge and fixedly attached to the hub at the central opening, the disc being of decreased thickness as the disc extends from the hub to the rim.
Viewed from a third vantage point it is an object of the present invention to provide a pruning system comprising a vehicle including a frame and attached wheels, an engine upon the frame powering the pruning system, and a multiple of two platforms oriented in pairs in planes substantially perpendicular to the direction to the vehicle""s motion and adjustably locatable with respect to the frame.
Viewed from a fourth vantage point it is an object of the present invention to provide a machine for pruning trees comprised of a frame, wheels supporting the frame above ground, a plurality of platforms supported above the frame by a moveable connection means capable of locating the platforms distant from the frame and an engine which powers hydraulic motors interposed between the engine and the wheels which in turn impart rotation to the wheels, and wherein the moveable connection means of the platforms is a series of moveable interconnected rigid supports powered by a series of hydraulic rams in turn powered by the engine, and wherein steering of the wheels is accomplished by adjustment of hydraulic rams driven by output from the engine.